Four new festivals join improvfestivals.org

Four new festival pages were added to the wiki this week, in Bremen, Kraków, Philadelphia, and Würzburg. Two existing festivals also moved to their next editions, and a third opened submissions.

New festivals on the site

Fliegende Funken is a bilingual improv theater festival in Bremen, Germany, running since 2010. The 2026 edition runs September 17-20 under the theme "Against the Drift," with seven workshops at three skill levels and faculty including Andrew Hefler, Christian Capozzoli, and Rachel Bouton.

ImproFest Kraków is a five-day international improv festival in Kraków, Poland, presented in Polish and English. The most recent edition (XIII) ran November 5-9, 2025; 2026 dates are not yet announced.

PHIT PHEST is a quarterly weekend of curated indie improv shows presented by Philly Improv Theater at the Hamilton Family Arts Center in Philadelphia. Spring PHEST 2026 runs May 15-16.

Würzburger Improtheaterfestival is an improv theatre festival in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 2002. The 24th edition runs October 22-25, 2026, and show and workshop applications are accepted by lottery between May 8 and May 17, 2026.

Festival updates

The Heat announced its 4th edition in Vancouver, January 26-31, 2027. Headlining troupe applications are open through June 15, 2026, and a new Festival Ensemble track for individual international improvisers closes July 6, 2026. The 2026 edition was archived to a past editions page.

Improfestival Salento moved to its 15th edition, running July 29 to August 2, 2026 in Gallipoli, Italy, with five 14-hour workshops led by Mauro Simolo, Ana Puerta, Omar Galvan, and Encarni Corrales. Registration for 2026 is open. The 2025 edition was archived to a past editions page.

Red Rocks Improv Festival opened submissions for its 16th edition, running September 17-19, 2026 in Cedar City, Utah. Applications close July 1, 2026, with a $30 fee and 25-minute performance slots.

Submission deadlines coming up

• Dramatic Improv Festival (Chicago, IL) - submissions close May 10, 2026
• Defrost Festival (Melbourne, Australia) - submissions close May 11, 2026
• RISE Comedy Festival (Denver, CO) - submissions close May 15, 2026